This week on the blog
Instant Karma bu Donna Marie Oldfield
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars
Remembrance Day
11 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in General Tags: remembrance day
“At 11am on the 11th November 1918 the guns fell silent” is a phrase that has been repeated in some form or another and is one I have heard throughout my entire life. Today is Remembrance Day in Australia (with variations celebrated around the world and through the Commonwealth) and marks the day World War 1 finally ended, after four long years of fighting.
Today, at 11am, at schools, war memorials, and places all across the country, services will be held to honour those who have fallen in the line of battle. During services the “Last Post” is sounded by a bugler and a minute silence is observed. The Ode is also cited.
While slightly eclipsed by the public holiday of ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day has as much significance if not more to not only Australians but all those who fought in World War 1. With 2014 marking the 100th anniversary of the start of Wold War 1 it is important to acknowledge and remember all the brave men and women who put their lives on the line, not just in that war, but for the many that have followed since.
The Australia War Memorial website has a wonderful explanation about why Remembrance Day is important to Australians and why the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is significant.
“At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender.
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.
On the first anniversary of the armistice in 1919 two minutes’ silence was instituted as part of the main commemorative ceremony at the new Cenotaph in London. The silence was proposed by Australian journalist Edward Honey, who was working in Fleet Street. At about the same time, a South African statesman made a similar proposal to the British Cabinet, which endorsed it. King George V personally requested all the people of the British Empire to suspend normal activities for two minutes on the hour of the armistice “which stayed the worldwide carnage of the four preceding years and marked the victory of Right and Freedom”. The two minutes’ silence was popularly adopted and it became a central feature of commemorations on Armistice Day.
On the second anniversary of the armistice in 1920 the commemoration was given added significance when it became a funeral, with the return of the remains of an unknown soldier from the battlefields of the Western Front.
After the end of the Second World War, the Australian and British governments changed the name to Remembrance Day. Armistice Day was no longer an appropriate title for a day which would commemorate all war dead.
In Australia on the 75th anniversary of the armistice in 1993 Remembrance Day ceremonies again became the focus of national attention. The remains of an unknown Australian soldier, exhumed from a First World War military cemetery in France, were ceremonially entombed in the Memorial’s Hall of Memory. Remembrance Day ceremonies were conducted simultaneously in towns and cities all over the country, culminating at the moment of burial at 11 am and coinciding with the traditional two minutes’ silence. This ceremony, which touched a chord across the Australian nation, re-established Remembrance Day as a significant day of commemoration.
Four years later, in 1997, Governor-General Sir William Deane issued a proclamation formally declaring 11 November to be Remembrance Day, urging all Australians to observe one minute’s silence at 11 am on 11 November each year to remember those who died or suffered for Australia’s cause in all wars and armed conflicts.”
– Extract from the AWM Website
The red poppy has become the symbol of Remembrance Day. Mentioned in the John McCrae poem, In Flanders Field, they bloomed across the battlefields in Flanders, becoming symbolic of the blood that spilled across them. You can read McCrae’s poem below.
No matter who you are, or whether you have had family members serve this country, take a minute to thank those who did, and offer a minutes silence to pay respect to those who gave their time and those who never came home.
For those who have fought in our wars, from the ANZACS until now, thank you.
Instant Karma by Donna Marie Oldfield
10 Nov 2014 1 Comment
in 3 Stars, General, Romance Tags: contemporary, contemporary romance, donna marie oldfield, ebook, romance, three stars
Published: 19th July 2014
Publisher: Sonic Pop Publishing
Pages: 325
Format: ebook
Genre: Contemporary romance
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars
Do you believe in karma? Materialistic, selfish estate agent Siena Robinson doesn’t – until she hits a disastrous run of bad luck that makes her wonder if she has brought it upon herself.
In Instant Karma, Siena moves to the quiet village of Fenville, where the locals are opposing a development that will see a beloved hall and library replaced by new flats and shops. What her neighbours don’t know is that she is one of the developers and stands to make millions from the deal.
But then Siena discovers that her high-school sweetheart, Aiden, is leading the protest and she finds herself acting as a double agent who is torn between her neighbours’ plight and making lots of money.
Will Siena betray her new friends and let greed ruin a second chance with Aiden? And will she ever find out who or what is behind her run of bad karma?
Note: I was given a copy of this book for review.
After having time to think about it this is more 3.5 stars than 3 I think. The story Oldfield has created is all about the effects of karma and the message that what goes around comes around and bad karma comes to those who deserve it. While this idea could be very moralistic for the reader it works because Siena is a character who is very stubborn and selfish and can’t really see or accept that her bad luck is caused by her own behaviour. This brings the focus more on Siena’s character than on the karma itself so you can ignore the “you get what you deserve” message that flows through it.
Siena is a person you do kind of dislike, but without disliking her you can’t understand why she does what she does. You wouldn’t like someone who acts the way Siena does and to do so means the story does not work. It is not a strong dislike, more of an intense judgement about her and her behaviour. You judge her actions and get a nice feeling when she gets her comeuppance.
Siena has an attitude along the lines of “if they don’t care about me I won’t care about them”, but even if they do she brushes them off, finds the bad in people and always assumes the worst. She has her group of friends but they are similar to her and she cannot see the problems with herself as a result. The few realisations she has come after she tries to improve her attitude and a few home truths slowly start to change her way of thinking but it is a long road and she falls more often than she succeeds. But as much as it irked me it took her so long I liked that there was no instant turn around. Doing one nice thing does not change Siena; it takes time and some severe bouts of bad karma for her to truly start to change, and not just for her own benefit, real genuine change. And it is the attempt that makes you start to hope for her, that maybe she is better than the selfish and nasty person she has turned into.
When she reconnects with Aiden Siena tries to improve herself but this is purely for selfish reasons, to make him think she was a better person rather than to actually improve herself. But in doing this Aiden helps her remember the person she was eight years ago when they were together, the nicer, kinder person rather than the snobby and judgemental person she has become. Siena tries to be good for Aiden, to impress him and to show him she is a nice person, but her desire to do better is also powered by her attempt at better karma, but when there is no instant gratification she feels she deserves, she falls back into her old ways.
What I liked was that Oldfield gives us a hint at how Siena became she person she was, and how she gradually changed from the person Aiden knew to the person she becomes. Events in her past and conscious decisions have shaped who she has become and this helps understand her more, and makes you pity her slightly.
One review I read described this story like A Christmas Carol in modern real estate which is the perfect description, but with fewer ghosts. There is definitely something that keeps you reading even though Siena gets up your nose. I think I kept waiting for her to come to her senses and realise the impact her bad decisions and selfish ways were having on her life. I kept expecting that the next chapter would be where she changes her life and sees her fortunes improve.
The changes do come about though and I think at just the right time. Oldfield concludes the story pretty well with some surprises but it works in a way, without being too incredulous or unbelievable. The ending is dramatic but exciting and after the gradual build up in anticipation about the development as well as Siena’s bad karma, it all comes to a head in a wonderful fashion. There are some unexpected surprises that add a bit of mystery to the mix but they manage to work out well. There are a few things left unanswered at the end that I would have liked to see outcomes and consequences of but other than that there is a good concluding sense about Siena’s future. She knows it is not going to perfect but she is going to face it and embrace it as it comes.
Purchase Instant Karma via the following
Weekly Wrap Up
09 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in Weekly Wrap Up Tags: weekly wrap up
This week on the blog
Fatal Abduction (IFICS #3) by Julia Crane
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars
Release Day Blitz: Fatal Abduction (IFICS #3) by Julia Crane
Desperate Reflections (#3) by Shay West
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars
Desperate Reflections (#3) by Shay West
07 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in 3 Stars, Adventures of Alexis Davenport, Historical, Science Fiction, Young Adult Tags: adventures of alexis davenport, historical, science fiction, shay west, three stars, young adult
Published: 28th August 2014
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Pages: 248
Format: ebook
Genre: Young Adult/Historical/Science Fiction
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars
In this final book of the Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series, we find Alex dealing with more drama than ever: her first break-up, her mom’s new boyfriend, and attempting to learn the secrets of her “gift” on her own. Desperate to stop Drifter, Alex uses her ability to locate the evil Traveler, only to discover that he lives in her time… And he knows who she is. In a final race against time, Alex must discover Drifter’s ultimate plan, stop him, and save her family…all before prom.
Note: I was provided a copy of this book for review
From the revelation at the end of the second book I was eager to start reading the final one and find out what was going to happen. In the three years since discovering her ability Alex is slowly understanding what she is capable of. She is confident if not wary when it comes to travelling and it’s clear the various women she’s taken over have helped her discover more about herself. With the danger of the Traveller coming closer to home than ever before I’m glad West chose to put more light on the travelling than the school life and she did a good job in concluding the series and wrapping things up nicely.
The story is interesting and engaging as per usual and West adds a lot more intrigue and drama into the story which only adds to the enjoyment. With the Traveller closing in on Alex and she still trying to understand her abilities, there is the ongoing game of cat and mouse that they play both through time and not and the creativity West has in these situations is excellent.
West’s strength is certainly in the time travel aspects, but there is also an improvement in her writing about Alex’s home and school life compared to previous books and I think this comes down to good representation through the characters. Alex seems to be more settled at school and at home and the pettiness of the past has been put aside meaning she can enjoy herself more. There are still hints of the immature and petulant girl but West’s ability to portray these emotions is much more successful and suits the story much better as there is a greater believability and understanding behind them.
Alex’s pent up anger issues and outburst are given a detailed explanation and cause this time which was wonderful, and West works it into the story well. If West was using this as the cause of previous outburst, it isn’t until now that it has come across successfully. The events in this book may be the final straw for Alex where she snaps and the floodgate of emotions break through in their entirety, and even though previous books hasn’t explained this well enough, it makes sense this time.
The weak point is sometimes in the narrative voice, and while the story is interesting the narration sometimes lets it down. Somehow West is able to write in a way that is engaging and thrilling, while other times the writing and story falters and becomes quite oddly expressed but the interest remains and keeps you reading through these parts.
What stands out in this novel is that Alex certainly seems more confident in herself which reflects how much she has learnt about herself and how she has grown, and she is more open to addressing her feelings about issues in her life. It’s a small part of the story but it is great character improvement, especially for Alex.
There are answers given in this book, endings and explanations as well but West keeps some secrets to herself. The ending was really well done and I loved that West used details from earlier books to help Alex along. The story is engaging and at times can be fast paced and filled with tension and suspense, and as usual West makes you nervous about just how far the Traveller will go to stop Alex. I think the time travelling and certainly the conclusion makes up for the faults in the story and you finish feeling like a series has been concluded well and with a bit of mystery remaining. To be picky is to ask for a history on why Alex can travel through time and more detail about it but as a snapshot into her life and not into the grand scheme of things, West’s series is one that is intriguing and enjoyable.
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